


Birthday Surprise

by lettalady



Category: Real Person Fiction
Genre: Birthday, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-21
Updated: 2014-11-21
Packaged: 2018-02-26 11:25:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2650301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lettalady/pseuds/lettalady





	Birthday Surprise

You wake up in the middle of the night to find Tom isn’t in the bed beside you. This isn’t wholly unusual – sometimes he is traveling for work, sometimes he’d just be unable to sleep as a residual effect from long hours kept while filming. If the latter was the case you could usually find him in the study at the computer or reading a book – any quiet activity until he was able to still his mind. 

Tom is home tonight, though he has to work tomorrow. You were hoping he could spend the day with you – it being your birthday and all – but you knew what you were getting into when you met him. Demands of the job and all that. 

There’s that thump again. And his low muttering. A squelch? A hiss? What was that man up to? There’s light peeking under the bedroom door. If he was hidden away in his study per usual the light wouldn’t be as bright. You lay there in the dark listening to his movements. Maybe he just made a quick trip to the kitchen and was heading back to the study. And tripped over… something, something that made a strange noise you can’t quite place. Shoes? Shoes against… 

Your brain can’t switch on enough to figure out a solution. You stretch in the bed. You don’t want to get up but you know you need to in order to satisfy your curiosity. You’re overly tired so when you stand you waiver a bit on your feet. It nearly feels like you’re drunk. 

Feeling like you do you don’t bother putting on pajama bottoms. You’ll just see what he’s doing and then climb back into bed. Maybe try to talk him into following you. You wait a moment before taking the few steps towards the door. You pause to shield your eyes against the light that will try to stun your still half asleep self and then open the door. 

It takes you a second to figure out what you’re seeing. 

Balloons. Balloons filling the floor of the hallway - at least a foot deep, by your measure – and – now this is making you blink in wonder – also lining the ceiling. Now that you’ve opened the door to the bedroom there is more space for the balloons to escape. At least one has already slipped from the hallway into the room with you. 

You stand there, slack-jawed. 

Tom ties off the balloon he has in his hands and it flutters up to the ceiling to join the rest. When he stands the balloons by his knees emit a squelching sound as they rub together. Ah. That explains that noise. He pockets the few deflated balloons he had in his hand before reaching up to rub at the back of his neck. “Um… Happy Birthday sweetheart?” 

"I must still be dreaming. It looks like our hallway is filled with balloons." You shake your head and blink to try to clear the sleep away. So. Many. Balloons. 

He kicks balloons aside to take a few long strides and wrap you up in his arms. He gives your waist a light squeeze. His hands migrate down slightly and he grins. “I’ll pinch you, if you like. Prove that you’re awake.” 

You snuggle a bit against him, “Come to bed and we’ll talk.” 

"But… the balloons…" He is reticent to leave his project incomplete. 

You leave him standing there in the doorway, light and balloons trailing into the bedroom as you look back at him. “They’ll keep till morning, won’t they? Are you really going to tell the birthday girl no?” 

"Well, when you put it that way." He shrugs, reaching back into the hallway to flick off the light. You can barely make out his form in the newly dark bedroom but you can hear his soft singing as he approaches. " _Happy birthday dear ______. Happy birthday to you_...”


End file.
